How To Get A Technical Writing Job

You might be surprised to find that there are a lot of technical writing jobs out there, you just have to know where to look. If you think that you have the ability to write efficiently, concisely and creatively then a position as a technical writer might be right up your alley. Read our guide which will help you to get a technical writing job.

1. Get qualified. There are many different training courses that you can take to help you qualify for a technical writing job, but the main thing to have under your belt is a bachelor’s degree in English. There are ways into the industry without it, but having one of these will help you a lot.

2. Find the right jobs. What you search online will really make a difference to what you find. Try searching for ‘Jr technical writer’, rather than ‘New technical writing jobs’, and you should have much more luck.

3. Get up to speed with your systems. As a technical writer you are going to be using Frame maker, Robohelp, Captivate and a range of Madcap products and it would be very advisable to make sure that you are up to speed with the use of all of these. There is no harm in being well prepared and this information is only going to impress someone when you come to apply for positions.

4. Check your resume. The content of your resume is more critical than ever, given that you are applying for a writing job. You need to make sure that there are absolutely no spelling or grammatical errors whatsoever, or you are dead in the water.

5. Show your writing samples. Ideally you will have a back catalogue of work which you can demonstrate in an interview environment. You should bring with you to any interview a portfolio of different writing styles all with a nice concise style.

6. Find a job in which you are knowledgeable. Make sure that the technical writing job is in the niche of something you know about. It will be so much easier to write about subjects you know about, and it will be much easier to talk about them in interview.

Good luck with your application, and make sure your resume is squeaky clean to make sure you get the opportunity of an interview.